Listing CameraShort answer: To prepare a home for listing photos, declutter surfaces, put away personal items, fix small visible repairs, clean windows and mirrors, make beds, clear kitchen and bathroom counters and tidy the exterior. On photo day, turn on every light and open blinds evenly.
I've walked into more than 2,500 homes on photo day. The ones that photograph beautifully aren't always the biggest or newest; they're the ones where someone spent an afternoon clearing surfaces and fixing small things. A camera exaggerates clutter, so a room that feels "lived in" in person can look messy in a photo. Here's how to get ahead of it.
For agents: share this with sellers a week out so there's time for the bigger items, like touch-up paint and lawn care.
A week or so before
- Replace burned-out bulbs, and match bulb color within each room (all warm or all cool).
- Touch up scuffed paint and patch obvious nail holes.
- Fix anything visibly broken: loose cabinet doors, a cracked switch plate, a dangling blind.
- Book any deep cleaning, window washing or carpet cleaning.
- Start decluttering: pack away anything you won't need before the move.
- Mow, edge and weed the lawn; trim bushes away from windows and walkways.
Whole house
- Clear most surfaces; leave one to three simple items per surface at most.
- Remove personal photos, kids' artwork, mail, keys and paperwork.
- Hide pet bowls, beds, litter boxes and toys.
- Remove cords from view where you can; tuck charging cables away.
- Clean windows and mirrors, inside at least.
- Open all blinds and curtains the same amount on each wall.
- Make sure every light works, including lamps.
Entry
- Shoes, coats, bags and umbrellas put away.
- Clean doormat or none at all.
- Clear any entry table down to one or two decorative items.
Living and family rooms
- Remotes, game controllers, magazines and blankets put away.
- Pillows plumped and placed evenly; throw folded neatly, or removed.
- Furniture pulled slightly off walls if it helps the room breathe, and squared up.
- Fireplace clean; no ash, tools tidy.
Kitchen
- Counters nearly bare: put away small appliances, knife blocks, dish racks and sponges.
- Fridge door cleared of magnets, photos and papers.
- Sink empty and dry; dish soap and towels out of sight.
- Trash and recycling bins hidden.
- Stovetop and appliance fronts wiped of fingerprints.
Dining room
- Table cleared or set simply; chairs evenly spaced and pushed in.
- Remove leaves from the table if it overwhelms the room.
Bedrooms
- Beds made tightly with smooth bedding; pillows arranged.
- Nightstands cleared to a lamp and maybe one item.
- Clothes, laundry baskets and shoes out of sight; closet doors closed.
- Nothing stored under the bed that shows.
- Kids' rooms: toys in bins, bins out of the frame.
Bathrooms
- Toilet seat and lid down.
- Counters clear: toothbrushes, razors, products and cords put away.
- Shower and tub cleared of bottles; shower curtain straight, or open to show the tub.
- Fresh, matching towels folded neatly, or none.
- Bath mat and trash can removed.
- Mirror and fixtures polished.
Office, basement, laundry and garage
- Desk cleared; computer screens off; papers filed away.
- Laundry room: no piles of clothes; detergents lined up or stored.
- Basement: storage consolidated in one area, out of the main shots.
- Garage: tidy enough for one clean photo, or plan to skip it.
Exterior
- Cars out of the driveway and, if possible, off the street in front.
- Trash and recycling bins out of sight.
- Hoses coiled and stored; tools, toys and bikes put away.
- Garage doors closed.
- Front door, house numbers and porch light clean.
- Walkways and driveway swept; leaves or snow cleared as best you can.
- Patio furniture arranged and cushions out; grill covered or cleaned.
- Pool uncovered and clean, if it's in season.
Photo day: the last hour
- Turn on every light in the house, including lamps, under-cabinet lights and range hood.
- Turn off TVs, computer screens and ceiling fans.
- Set all blinds to the same position.
- Do a final sweep for stray items: phones, cups, paper towels, chargers.
- Pets out of the house or contained, and people out of the frame.
- Check the time against where the sun is on the front of the house.
If the home is occupied by tenants
Rentals need a lighter touch. Give tenants plenty of notice, share this list as a request rather than a demand, and focus on what matters most: surfaces cleared, beds made, personal items and anything with names, faces or documents out of sight. If a room can't be cleared, it's usually better to skip it than to show someone's private space.
If the home is vacant
Vacant homes are easier to prep but easy to overlook. Walk through and check for dead bulbs (there are usually several), dust on sills and floors, cobwebs in corners, stickers or tape left on walls, and window blinds hanging at odd heights. Leave the heat or air on so windows don't fog, and remove any leftover cleaning supplies, paint cans or contractor gear from the rooms you'll photograph.
A note for agents
Sellers rarely see their own clutter. Walking the house together with this checklist a week out, and gently pointing to the two or three biggest items in each room, does more than any amount of editing later. It also sets expectations: photos show the home as it is, so the prep is where the improvement happens.
What not to worry about
You don't need new furniture or a designer. Don't try to hide real features of the home either: the photos should show the house a buyer will walk into. Clean and clear beats staged and fussy every time.
Next steps: the shot list by room, how to shoot it with an iPhone, and when to shoot the exterior.
If you're shooting the photos yourself after all this prep, Listing Camera, the iPhone app I built, enhances light and color in the background (about 30 to 40 seconds per photo) without staging or changing anything in the home. Free to try with 3 enhancements.